Researchers from Universities of Toronto and Milan hoped to examine the effect of these two staples in the Mediterranean diet because the body responds differently to bread than it does to pasta. The researchers believed this reaction could affect cancer risks.

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The study suggested that bread increases levels of estrogen, which is a risk factor for breast cancer. This increase is due to the high Glycemic Index Rating of bread.

The researchers found that the risk of a cancer diagnosis varied between women whose diets were rich in bread and those whose diets were rich in pasta. This distinction only occurred in women in the study.

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Scientists found that the bread-filled diet increased the risk of breast cancer in women ages 55 to 64 by 60 percent.

There seemed to be no increase in prevelance of cancer for participants who said they consumed a lot of pasta, according to researchers who also work with the World Health Organization.

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When examining instances of colo-rectal cancer, a large bread intake doubled the risk for women and increased the risk by 22 percent for men.

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Want to know what other foods can increase your risk of cancer? Read on to learn more about which foods to avoid.

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Soda

Soda is filled with sugar, colorings and food chemicals. The beverage actually feeds cancer cells. Some sodas even derive their caramel coloring from a chemical called 4-methylimidazole (4-MI), which has been associated with cancer risk.

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Red Meat

Consuming large amounts of red meat is associated with an increased cancer risk according to a 2012 study. There have been numerous studies on the correlation between red meat consumption and mortality. The New York Times explored a study that found when people ate half as much meat their cancer risk still increased.

Refined sugar can speed the growth of cancer cells. High-fructose corn syrup is a particularly insidious sweetener that appears in soft drinks and other fruit-flavored drinks.

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Trans- Saturated-Fats

These types of fats can be found in margarine and shortenings. Evidence shows that they raise cholesterol levels. While there is no definitive relationship to cancer, people should try to consume as few of these fats as possible.

Recently, The Harvard School of Public Health published a study that suggested pasta and foods with refined grains could cause depression in women. But now, scientists are singing pasta's praises after discovering an association between diets filled with bread and breast cancer in women. The study found that women who ate more pasta actually had a lower risk of developing the illness.

While more studies need to be conducted to affirm how bread and pasta affect cancer risk differently, this study provides an interesting first examination.